In this feature, The Most Radicalist pick out their favourite emerging artists opening up stages across the globe.

For this edition of Festival Finds we're reliving the wonder of one of the UK's most-loved festivals, End of the Road. The four day festival that takes place in the lush surroundings of Dorset's Larmer Tree Gardens has grown exponentially in popularity since its birth in 2006, whilst maintaining an intimate and respectful feel. Championing some of the most exciting new artists around alongside established and often cult-followed headliners; the festival also offers engaging art installations, a platform for up and coming comedians, games, kids activities and late-night antics including a wealth of excitement-inducing surprise slots, meaning there truly is something for everyone.

This year Spiritualized, Michael Kiwanuka, Courtney Barnett and Metronomy topped the bill, but as you probably know by now, here at The Most Radicalist, we’re all about the newest sounds. With that in mind, our festival picks look at the must-see smaller acts who would be well worth seeing on any stage let alone at End of the Road.

Discover our favourite Festival Finds below.

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Nubya Garcia



Rushing over from her earlier set on The Garden stage with London-based jazz collective NÉRIJA, composer and saxophonist extraordinaire Nubya Garcia took to The Woods stage with her backing band to perform a stunning 45 minute set of her solo material. Setting the standard high for the rest of the day, Garcia's free-spirited take on soulful, modern jazz was enough to prize people up from their picnic blankets to sway along in synchronicity with the music.



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Kokoko!



Bringing some sunshine to The Woods stage after an unexpected downpour, Kinshasha's Kokoko! donned their distinctive yellow boiler suits to deliver an electrifying set that left the crowd begging for more. Performing a series of feel-good tracks from their recently-released album Fongola, including standout track 'Buka Dansa', which had the audience signing along and raising/lowering their arms to the rhythm, Kokoko!'s infectious energy and percussive grooves made for one of the most enjoyable sets of the weekend.



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black midi



We've been no strangers to black midi here at TMR, having closely followed their unstoppable upwards trajectory over the last 2 years. Catching the London-hailing foursome wigging out in the serene surroundings of The Garden stage in the early evening was an unfamiliar yet thrilling experience. Rising to the occasion, the continually exciting quartet surprised the audience with a combination of tracks from their Mercury-nominated album Schlagenheim, intertwined with vast improvised interludes. Paying homage to their secret set on The Tipi stage last year, guitarist Matt even treated us to another mid-set backflip, prompting a huge cheer from the impressive crowd.



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Kikagaku Moyo



Following black midi is by no means an easy slot. However, Japanese psych-rockers Kikagaku Moyo brought a blinding combination of spaced-out psychedelia and face-melting crescendos to the first darkness-covered set of Saturday night. Pairing exotic sitar sections with driving beats and repetitive rhythm guitars, Kikagaku Moyo's hour-long set cast a hypnotic spell over the crowd that left us feeling dizzy, which was admittedly exacerbated by more than a few rum & cokes.



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Black Country, New Road



As we headed towards the festival's smallest stage (The Tipi), we were greeted by a behemoth of a queue, meandering its way round the fire and almost out of the Tipi area entirely. This was the line for rising experimentalists Black Country, New Road. Taking full advantage of our backstage pass we managed to secure a slot at the also rammed side of stage area, as BCNR released a tirade of abrasive post-rock. With their recently-released epic 'Sunglasses' receiving a euphoric reaction from the dedicated fans at the front, this was easily our favourite BCNR performance to date.



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Squid



With drummer/vocalist Ollie and guitarist Anton both having birthdays over the End of the Road weekend, the festival felt like a giant celebration for TMR favourites Squid. Performing a total of 3 sets over the weekend, it was the unstoppable quintet's secret set on The Tipi that stole our hearts. Opening with an ingeniously adapted version of Robert Wyatt's cult-classic 'Pigs...(In There)', which was met by utter joy by those who clocked it, the fivesome treated us to an electrifying rendition of their recent singles 'Match Bet', 'The Cleaner' and obviously their incredible breakthrough track 'The Dial'.



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Crack Cloud



Feeling admittedly exhausted from such an incredible day of music on Saturday, we managed to drag ourselves into the Big Top to catch Canadian post-punk enthusiasts Crack Cloud, who gave us a rude yet welcome awakening. With at least 3 guitarists at any one point slicing through the tent, the almost deafening Gang of Four-style guitar work sat proudly at the forefront on top of pounding beats and motorik bass lines. With the band's 6 other members arranged in a circle around the shirtless lead vocalist/drummer Zach Choy, Crack Cloud come across as a musical gang you wouldn't want to mess with. Hard, sharp and ferocious.



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Cate Le Bon



Concluding our Festival Finds is the phenomenally talented Welsh songwriter Cate Le Bon. Delivering a truly magical set in front of a golden sunset, the festival veteran and her incredible band owned The Woods stage with a seamless combination of old and new tracks, lifted from her remarkable Mercury-nominated new album Reward. At points touching on the genius of both PJ Harvey and The Slits, there's a softer approach to Cate's live show that feels smooth, confident and completely unique. As with all great performances, the hour slot passed by an a second leaving us both elated and eager for more.



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 -Holly Mullineaux